Certo Pectin Jam Food

CERTO® NECTARINE JAM

Steps:

• Bring boiling-water canner, half full with water, to simmer. Wash jars and screw bands in hot soapy water; rinse with warm water. Pour boiling water over flat lids in saucepan off the heat. Let stand in hot water until ready to use. Drain jars well before filling.
• Pit and finely chop nectarines. Measure exactly 4-1/2 cups prepared fruit into 6- or 8-qt. saucepot. Stir in lemon juice.
• Stir sugar into prepared fruit in saucepot. Add butter to reducing foaming. Bring mixture to full rolling boil (a boil that doesn't stop bubbling when stirred) on high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in pectin. Return to full rolling boil and boil 1 min., stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off any foam with metal spoon.
• Ladle immediately into prepared jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of tops. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with two-piece lids. Screw bands tightly. Place jars on elevated rack in canner. Lower rack into canner. (Water must cover jars by 1 to 2 inches. Add boiling water, if necessary.) Cover; bring water to gentle boil. Process 10 min. Remove jars and place upright on a towel to cool completely. After jars cool, check seals by pressing middles of lids with finger. (If lids spring back, lids are not sealed and refrigeration is necessary.)

CERTO® CRANBERRY JAM

Steps:

• Bring boiling-water canner, half full with water, to simmer. Wash jars and screw bands in hot soapy water; rinse with warm water. Pour boiling water over flat lids in saucepan off the heat. Let stand in hot water until ready to use. Drain jars well before filling.
• Place cranberries and water in large saucepan. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 10 min. Press through a sieve, if desired. Measure exactly 7-1/2 cups prepared fruit into 6- or 8-qt. saucepot.
• Stir sugar into prepared fruit in saucepot. Add butter to reduce foaming. Bring mixture to full rolling boil (a boil that doesn't stop bubbling when stirred) on high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in pectin. Return to full rolling boil and boil exactly 1 min., stirring constantly. Skim off any foam with metal spoon.
• Ladle quickly into prepared jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of tops. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with two-piece lids. Screw bands tightly. Place jars on elevated rack in canner. Lower rack into canner. (Water must cover jars by 1 to 2 inches. Add boiling water, if necessary.) Cover; bring water to gentle boil. Process 10 min. Remove jars and place upright on a towel to cool completely. After jars cool, check seals by pressing middles of lids with finger. (If lids spring back, lids are not sealed and refrigeration is necessary.)

LOW SUGAR NATURAL PECTIN JAM

Steps:

• Place a small saucer in the freezer to chill for later testing of jam thickness. In large deep heavy skillet (preferably NOT non-stick), or your widest heavy-bottom sauce pan, sprinkle cleaned berries or other sliced fruit with 3/4 cup of the sugar. Mash coarsely and let sit 15 minutes to "juice".
• Bring fruit mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Boil 15 minutes - hard enough to bubble but not splatter, stirring occasionally & skimming any foam off.
• Meanwhile, peel, core & grate apples.
• Stir in apples, lemon juice & remaining 1/4 cup sugar & keep boiling, stirring more often now & scraping bottom of pan to prevent sticking.
• Cook this way until thickened, about 20-45 more minutes (depends on ripeness of fruit, altitude, etc).
• Test by placing a small drop of jam on the chilled plate from the freezer and let it sit a minute; when properly thickened, the jam should not run at all when plate is tilted at a steep angle.
• If not thick enough, let it cook longer -- it will get there eventually!
• Ladle hot jam into half-pint canning jars (they're heat-proof) and put the lids on hand-tight. Because this jam has less sugar, it's best to use half-pint (1 cup) or smaller jars, because it may spoil quicker once opened. You can either store the jars as-is in the freezer once cooled, or you may can them by submerging hot jars immediately in boiling water for 10 minutes.
• If you don't have canning jars, let jam cool in the covered pan until room temperature. Ladle into plastic or other containers (1 cup volume each or smaller), and store in freezer.

BLACK CURRANT JAM

Steps:

• Crush currants thoroughly, one layer at a time. Press half of pulp through a sieve to remove some of the seeds. Place pulp in large saucepan; add water. Bring to boil on medium heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover. Simmer 15 min., stirring occasionally.
• Add pectin crystals; mix well. Bring to full rolling boil on high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in sugar. Return to full rolling boil and boil 1 min., stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir and skim foam for 5 minute to prevent fruit from floating to top.
• Pour immediately into warm sterilized jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of rims. Seal while hot with sterilized two-piece lids with new centres. Let stand at room temperature until set.

APRICOT JAM RECIPE

Steps:

• Put a rack on the bottom of the canner and fill with enough water to cover the jars and bring to a simmer
• Add 6 empty 8 oz half pint jars to the simmering water & leave until ready to use. Bring a small pan of water to a simmer and put the jar lids in the hot water. Turn off heat.
• Cut the apricots in half and remove the pits
• In a large, deep stainless steel saucepan, combine apricots, sugar, and lemon juice.
• Over medium-high heat, using a wooden spoon and stirring constantly, bring the apricot mixture to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down.
• Stir in pectin, and boil hard for one minute, stirring constantly
• Remove from heat and skim off foam
• Remove hot jars from canner and ladle hot jam into jars, leaving a 1/4" head space. With a damp cloth or paper towel, wipe the jar rims to remove any spills. Top each jar with a lid, then thread the screw bands on until just finger tight.
• Return filled jars to the boiling water canner and process for 10 minutes
• Place jars on a towel on the counter and allow to cool
• Check the seals (see note below), label and store
• Wash jars in the dishwasher or by hand in hot soapy water